It isn’t the 90s.
It is about to be the 2020s.
This might have worked for Michael Jordan, but it doesn’t work with today’s NBA players. Maybe if MJ gave his guys more days off, they would be better team?
“Our guys aren’t used to sitting on the second game of a back-to-back.… We’re not sitting guys just to sit,” Clifford said. “For me, my background frankly, it all goes back to expectations. Being with Michael in Charlotte, Michael used to tell them every year, you’re paid to play 82 games.”
Jordan was a famously durable player who played 82 games in nine different seasons and averaged over 38 minutes for his career. Clifford used Kemba Walker as an example of the Hornets’ philosophy, noting that the point guard played 82 games last season with a high usage rate.
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and playing 82 games used to be a badge of courage for a lot of guys,” Clifford said. “There were always a lot of guys who didn’t want to play. They stood out more.”
Kemba also left as soon as he could in free agency.
Flip the page for the load management debate.
